HTC Status Hands-On and Unboxing

It’s Facebook time again! We’ve got our hands on the HTC Status, aka the HTC ChaCha, aka one of two Facebook phones as released on AT&T for the greater good of Facebook fun in the USA. This device is one announced with a slew of ultra-fantastic HTC devices back at Mobile World Congress 2011, this again one of several that were not allowed to be touched at the time. We’ve got mega hands-on action coming at you now though, all if it personal and in-tune! The following is the initial look at this device, simple and smooth, then it’s time for you to ask all the questions and we’ll let loose – ANSWERS GALORE!

This device is one that’s not going to win any giant screen contests, sure not going to win the processor war, beat any more than a few devices in benchmark contests, and it’s not the fastest gun in the west (or the East, for that matter,) but guess what: it’s beautiful. It feels absolutely lovely sitting in your hand, and the smoothness of the plastic, the curves, and the well-crafted metal will make you say : “oh my goodness, this was a good decision that I made. I think I’ll buy myself an ice cream.” That said, you probably won’t be getting Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich on this device, but you wont want it anyway!

[vms d0ced286cb5995327d1a]

This is certainly one unique device. You’ll not truly be able to compare it with any other phone of its caliber, be it BlackBerry, odd Android, or scientific calculator. Think about THAT one, wont you? Now here comes a device that’s like a hockey puck chopped in half and formed with an official HTC “lip” on the bottom. Well played, all around in the cuteness of the form AND in the feel of the materials. Then we’ve got the display, that magical, fantastic display. We’ll talk a bit more about it when we get to the actual full review, but lets just say now: it’s bright, it’s sharp, and it’s nice to behold.

Then there’s the keyboard – a bunch of chicklets sitting in a tray, just begging to get tapped to status goodness. This is, as our good pal Chris Davies said when he looked at the device, one of the nicer QWERTY keyboards on a handset in recent memory, and for that this smartphone gets big props. Will this board be enough to alleviate the fact that the display is smaller than some lower-range devices on a good day? We shall see.

For now though, courage, and awaiting the true Facebook style – this is it!